If you need to be told what’s at stake in this game, you’ve probably clicked this link on accident. No shame in that; just click back out and move on with your day.
For Xavier fans, presence in the second weekend marks the end of a long absence from a round of the tournament that felt like the program’s birthright for much of the 00s and 10s. The school hired Sean Miller during the team’s NIT run last year to restore it to national relevance; exactly a year on from that date, the Muskies were putting the finishing touches on a win over Pitt that would do just that.